The Alphabet of Solangelo
by The Last Narnian
Summary: Just a basic alphabet fic about PJO/HOO's first CANON gay ship. Mostly fluff, fluff, and more fluff, because Nico has been through way too much depressing crap in his life to not have fluff. Some angst every now and then to shake it up a bit, but expect 90% tooth-rotting sweetness. SOLANGELO ALL THE WAY!
1. A is for Apple

**A/N: So, you know how it's totally ~in~ these days to write an alphabet fic for your OTP? Yeah me neither. But since I ship Solangelo *restrains inner fangirl* I decided they were adorable enough to get one of these babies.**

 **Disclaimer: Do I look like a middle-aged man who drinks the tears of little children with his morning coffee? (No. No I do not. And if you answer yes I will hit you)**

 **Have some SOLANGELOOOOOOO**

 **A is for Apple**

"Nico!" Will called. I turned around, waiting for him to catch up, trying not to smile. I have an image to keep up.

"Did you see the news?" he asked, grinning widely.

"No, but I'm sure you'll tell me," I said dryly. Will and Annabeth are among the handful of campers who bother to read the newspaper. Everyone else relies on them to share the important stuff.

Will laughed. My sullenness amuses him for some reason. "Love wins!" he yelled. A few heads turned to look at us.

I blinked at him, confused. "Pardon?" Was there a war that Aphrodite won?

"Love wins." he repeated. "Gay marriage is legal in all fifty states." he clarified, noting my expression.

"Gay marriage is legal now?" People in this time period are more accepting, but there are still a sizeable amount of homophobes.

Will nodded. "Isn't it great?" he said excitedly. "The Aphrodite Cabin is having a celebration this evening. We should go."

"Go...together?" I asked.

"Sure."

"Like... _together_ together?" I wasn't sure Solace understood was what I was asking.

"What are we, twelve? Yes, _together_ together." Will said, raising an eyebrow at me. "Unless you don't want to,"

I really did not like parties. Especially not Aphrodite cabin parties. They once tried to give me a makeover. It took me six hours to get all the gel out of my hair, and it would've probably taken longer if Piper hadn't taken pity on me. I was determined to avoid the Aphrodite campers (except Piper) after that incident.

On the other hand, this was Will asking me. There's always been an attraction, ever since the three days in the infirmary, but we've never actually been on a date. Whenever we hung out together, there were always other people around.

"Nico?" Will's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. He was staring at me, looking concerned. "If you don't want to-"

"I'll come," I spit the words out before I can lose my nerve. "But I am not dressing up for this."

He laughed. "Of course not. I'll see you at seven?"

"Sure." I agreed, cursing my pale skin as blood rushed to my face.

He grinned and ran towards the Apollo cabin. I stood where I was for a few minutes until the blush receded, then continued on to the Big House.

"Nico!" Will yelled again. Sighing, I turned around.

An apple hurtled toward me. My reflexes sent my arm up to catch it.

All around me, the camp stopped. Everyone was staring at me. I blinked. I was definitely missing something here, but I wasn't sure what. All I had done was catch an apple.

"Some day, Nico di Angelo!" Will hollered. "It's legal now!" Then he turned and ran like the Furies were after him. Was he expecting me to be mad at him?

Annabeth started giggling, and was joined by Piper. I stared at them, still not sure what was so amusing. Suddenly, it clicked. "WILL!" I screamed. That little schist! All the campers started laughing as I chased down the boy who claimed he loved me.

 **A/N: So, for those of you who don't get it, throwing an apple at a woman in Ancient Greece was the equivalent of a marriage proposal. Will tossing an apple at Nico is basically Will telling Nico he loves him and wants to marry him.**

 **In this story, it's a little joke more than anything, (Will's like fifteen) but I envision Will proposing in the same way years later to recall this moment.**

 **Like it? Too fluffy? Suggestions? TELL ME. Also if you have any ideas for the letter B comment them please! (reviewers will get mind cupcakes) Other chapters will probably be longer I know this one was a little short.**

 **The LAST NARNIAN**


	2. B is for Bicycle

**A/N: So I decided to wait until maybe H or I to start throwing in the angst. Also take note: unless I specifically say so, none of these are connected to each other. And the majority are probably going to be from Nico's POV just because I like seeing his reactions to Will flirting with him.**

 **Disclaimer: Well, I have a heart, and I don't have a few hundred thousand dollars, so I'm going to say I'm probably not Rick Riordan.**

 **B is for Bicycle**

Will was staring at me in shock. I wasn't sure what the big deal was. Then again, the culture gap between the 21st century and the 1940s was big enough that what I called insignificant was the end of the world to some people, or vice-versa.

"Will, stop gaping at me. You look like Percy when I told him he's not my type." I snapped, getting annoyed.

Will shut his mouth. "Sorry. But Nico, you can't be serious."

"Have you ever known me to kid about something?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"No but you have to joking about this," he persisted.

"I'm not," What was so hard for Solace to understand?

"Is this you attempting to be funny for once?"

"I can be funny!" I retorted. "I'm not kidding about this."

He hesitated. "Are you sure?"

"Will Solace, if you don't knock it off, I swear-"

"Ok, ok." He held up his hands. "I'm sorry."

"Why is it such a big deal to you that I've never ridden a bicycle anyway?" I asked.

"Because, riding a bicycle around the neighborhood is a fundamental aspect of childhood!" He sputtered.

"I was a child of Hades living during World War II, who was then trapped in the Lotus for seventy years. Not exactly ideal conditions for learning how to ride a bike." I informed him dryly.

"Well that part I get! What about after you left the Lotus? You've been free for four years!"

I shot him a withering look.

"I know, I know. Running away, finding Hazel, etc." Will murmured, thankfully not mentioning Tartarus.

"It just never came up." I shrugged. "I've never needed to know how to ride a bike. I see no reason to start."

"Too bad. I'm teaching you." Will declared.

I snorted. "Excuse me?"

"I'm going to teach you how to ride a bike." He repeated.

"I'd like to see you try it." I retorted. "Now if you don't mind, I told Annabeth I'd meet her." I walked away, thinking the matter was closed.

Sadly, children of Apollo are ridiculously stubborn.

"Will I really _really_ don't think this is a good idea." I hissed through my teeth, wobbling uneasily on the death trap known as a bicycle.

Barely an hour after our conversation about my lack of cycling skills, Will had tracked me down, dragged me to a secluded spot in the woods, and plopped me on a bright red bicycle the Hermes cabin had "procured" (stolen) from somewhere. Not how I was planning on spending my evening.

"You need to know how to ride a bike." Will insisted. His warm hands were on my waist (don't blush Nico don't blush), steadying me. "It's pretty easy to learn anyway. And once you learn you never forget."

I snorted. "Am I wrecking your plans of riding through Central Park together?" I asked sarcastically.

"Little bit." I could hear the smile in his voice. "Now, do you remember the pedal position I showed you?" I nodded. "Good. I'm going to give you a little push. Start pedaling once I let go."

"Yes, Dr. Solace." I responded, rolling my eyes. It sounded pretty straightforward anyway.

"All right, here we go." He gave me a light push, and suddenly the warmth of his hands vanished from my back. "Pedal!"

I quickly moved my feet, and I kept moving forward. "I- I'm doing it!"

"Go faster." He called, jogging beside me. I obeyed, and I sped forward.

"This is great!" I could feel the wind rushing in my face. Will was right- this was easy. What had I been worried about? I closed my eyes, laughing a little.

"Nico look out!"

My eyes snapped open. The mess hall loomed before me. Panicking, I yanked the bike to the right and sped through the cabins. Demigods yelled and dove out of my way.

"Make way people! Coming through here!" Will yelled from behind me. "Nico, brake!"

I couldn't remember how! Instead, I kept careening forward, swerving this way and that to avoid demigods. Suddenly, the firm ground underneath me vanished and I landed in the lake with a splash. Floundering in the water, I came up for air, gulping like a stranded fish. Beside me, the bicycle bobbed to the surface, no doubt pushed up by the nymphs.

There was quite a crowd around the lake by this point. Most people seemed torn between yelling and laughing. My cheeks burned with shame.

Will knelt in front of me, trying not to smile. "Nico, are you all right?"

"Great. Fantastic. Top of the world!" I snapped. I held up my hand. "Now get me out of here Solace."

Will took my hand. Before he could realize what was happening, I yanked his tall frame into the water with me. He sputtered, spitting out water. The campers exploded into laughter.

"Now we're even." I told him, clambering out of the lake. He followed, trying to get some water out of his ear.

Someone had the decency to pass us some towels. Still, I needed a change of clothes before I would feel like myself again. I began walking back to my cabin. Will joined me.

"I suppose I deserved that." he said once we passed a little ways away from the campers.

"I suppose you did." I answered in a neutral tone, glancing at him. "I didn't want to get on one of those death traps in the first place."

"But you enjoyed it." He laughed. "I saw you. You liked it."

"I don't know what you're talking about." I smiled at him. It would be a few months before I admitted I liked cycling.

We reached my cabin. "So, I guess the biking date is off then." Will joked.

"Probably," I agreed.

"Bummer. I was going to push you in the pond there too." he grinned.

I smacked his arm lightly. He laughed again, blue eyes dancing. I hesitated, before wrapping an arm around his neck and pressing my lips to his.

Will's kissed me before. Light pecks on the forehead and cheek that I usually glare at him for. He's always the one to kiss me. Never the other way around. And never on the lips- I wasn't brave enough for that. Until this moment.

Will's arm snaked around my waist, and he held me against him, before breaking the kiss. "What was that for?" He asked, searching my face. "Are you feeling all right?"

I rolled my eyes. "I feel fine. I can be affectionate, you know." I told him. "That was a thank you."

"Thank you?" he repeated. "I thought you hated the bicycle."

"Not for the bicycle. For the thought." I focused on our interlocked hands (when did that happen?) "No one's ever tried to give me the childhood experiences I missed out on. Percy's told me to be a kid, but he never forced me to go down to the arcade or ride a bicycle."

"I would hope not." Will said. "I don't think he'd survive that. You're very vicious."

"Very." I agreed.

"Except with me. You're a cuddly dark kitten of death with me." he said, quoting the Aphrodite cabin's description. Apparently, they 'ship' us.

"Shut up, Solace."

He chuckled. I don't know anyone besides old men who chuckles, but he makes it work. "Wanna do it again?"

"The biking? Hell no." I shuddered. Enough trauma for one day.

"Not the biking. The kissing." he clarified.

"Oh." Pause. "Why not?" I said finally.

He kissed me again. I melted, though I wouldn't admit it. "While the thought is nice," I said once we broke apart again, "please don't try to recreate any more childhood experiences for at least another month."

"I make no promises," he said, smiling.

 **A/N: Letter B: check. I'm on a roll!**

 **Don't get expect me to post chapters very often, once a week is a more realistic rate. I have school and a life to worry about. But as a special treat, two chapters in one day!**

 **Also SOLANGELO KISS. What did you think? Too fluffy? Any ooc-ness? Constructive criticism is appreciated. Also, comment any suggestions you have for the letter C!**


	3. C is for Cat

**A/N: Hello my pretties I'm back and I'm really happy about how many people want to see more Solangelo. This chapter was suggested by awesomealina1105.**

 **Disclaimer: If I was Rick Riordan everyone would be alive but sadly that is not the case**

 **C is for Cat**

"Get that thing out of my cabin,"

I was perched on my bed, glaring at Solace. He crossed his arms and glared right back at me. I would have gotten up and kicked him out, if it wasn't for the creature. A ginger tabby was sitting on the floor of my cabin, languidly licking her paw and washing her face. The evidence of her claws was on my legs and my bedpost.

"It's just a cat Nico," Will said.

"It tried to kill me," I whined.

"That's just how she says hi," he reasoned. "It's not like she did any real harm,"

I frowned, not willing to tell him why I was very sure it had been attacking me. All animals have a fight or flight response when they see me. They can sense the aura of the Underworld. I highly doubted this cat was any different.

"I don't care," I snapped. "I hate cats. Get it out."

"She's not an 'it'. Her name is Ginny. And I'm not leaving until you grow up and greet her properly," he informed me stubbornly.

"How? By biting her tail?" I asked sarcastically. Will rolled his eyes. "Why do you even have a cat in camp?"

"It's my mother's. I'm just watching it for a week while she's on a business trip." Will had gone to visit his mother, and had returned that morning. I had been very flattered that the first person he came to after greeting his siblings was me...until he had deposited the ginger devil spawn on my floor.

"Well then don't come anywhere near me for a week," I snapped, ignoring the flash of hurt on his face. "For the third time, get that she-demon out of here."

Will huffed, but obeyed. And I foolishly thought that was the end of it.

* time skip *

Gasping, I jolted awake, covered in cold sweat. The nightmares about Tartarus didn't come as often anymore, but when they did come they were awful. I shivered and rolled over, trying to wipe memories of the pit from my mind. Slowly, my heart rate returned to normal and I settled down, relaxing.

There was a creak.

Tensing up again, I opened my eyes. What was that?

There was no more creaking. But I got the sense that there was some shuffling somewhere, or the soft _pad pad pad_ of muffled footsteps. Twice, I sat up and looked around. I could see unusually well in the dark, but I saw nothing to be worried about. Yet the feeling persisted.

As suddenly as they had begun, the noises stopped. I sighed with relief. Maybe I could get some sleep. I rolled onto my back and closed my eyes.

A heavy, warm weight landed on my chest. My eyes shot open and I stared into two bright green lanterns.

I screamed, falling out of bed in my panic.

Immediately, the door to my cabin burst open. A light shone in. "Nico, are you okay?" Will's concerned voice rang in my ears.

I steadied my breathing. In the light, I could see what had happened. A window was open, and there was a green-eyed ginger tabby washing her face, looking completely unconcerned. I resisted the urge to kick her. She was lucky I hadn't had my sword nearby.

Will saw the cat too, and he laughed. "Well, now I know where she ran off to,"

"What are you doing up anyway, Solace?" I growled.

"Looking for Ginny," he replied, scooping her up with one arm. "She got out, and I was worried she might try to go back home. Luckily, she just wanted to see you."

I snorted. "See me? I think you mean nearly give me a heart attack." I didn't mention she had shown up right after a particularly bad dream.

He smiled. "Why is it so hard for you to accept it when someone likes you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." I lied, getting to my feet. I did know. I just didn't know the answer to his question.

Will shook his head, clearly too tired to pursue the subject. "Whatever, Nico," he yawned. "Good night." He leaned forward and kissed my forehead.

"Night. Solace." I murmured. "Night, she-devil."

He smiled and left. Ginny meowed plaintively as he walked away. I closed the door to my cabin, smiling a little.

Maybe the cat isn't so bad.

 **A/N: *rereads chapter* Hey not bad.**

 **I personally am not much of a cat person (I prefer my puppy) but I think they're alright. Nico disagrees.**

 **Review please! I will consider suggestions for D.**

 **~The Last Narnian**


	4. D is for Dancing

**A/N: Hey guys! I'm really really sorry I didn't post on Sunday like I said I would. I have a reason though- last week was Homecoming week at my high school, and since I'm on Student Council, it was CRAZY. But now I'm back and should be posting regularly again.**

 **This next chapter is kind of a continuation of A is for Apple, because the party they're at is the Aphrodite Cabin's aforementioned celebration of the SCOTUS ruling.**

 **The idea came from EchoStory. Although I loved the other suggestions, (D is for Dad sounds hilarious) the idea of my ship slow dancing always gets me so I decided to give it a shot myself.**

 **Disclaimer: No, I am not a troll god.**

 **D is for Dancing**

"Why did I let you talk me into this again?" I grumbled, crossing my arms. After a (painful) hour with Hazel and Piper, I had been deemed dance ready, at which point Will had showed up and "escorted" (dragged) me to the party. I was in no mood to be here- I was still mad at him over the little incident with the apple from earlier, and I would much rather be in bed with a book.

"You're here because I asked you. Now suck it up Di Angelo." Will replied, not looking at me. His eyes were fixed on the dance floor, and I could tell he was itching to get out there. I had no interest in joining him. My eyes wandered to the decorations.

 _Everything_ was rainbow (courtesy of the Iris Cabin). Ok, maybe everything is an exaggeration. The party was outdoors, so all the trees in the vicinity were draped in rainbow banners. There were lanterns of every color of the rainbow hanging from the branches. The snack table had cookies arranged into a rainbow. A lot of people were wearing rainbow tie-dye or gay pride t shirts. Hazel and Piper had forced me into a blue shirt, claiming the color looked good on me. Oh the irony.

"Wanna dance?" Will asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I blinked at him. "Excuse me?" I wasn't sure I had heard right.

Will sighed. "Would you like to dance?" he repeated, offering his hand.

I stared at his hand. "I-um, no. No thanks." I stammered finally.

He raised his eyebrows. "Why not?"

I shrugged, trying to look casual so he didn't see how much his question unnerved me. "I just don't dance." I didn't like dancing because I always felt like everyone was watching me and judging my every move. But I definitely couldn't tell him that.

"Oh, please. Everybody dances." Will told me, offering a lopsided smile.

"Not everyone." I said, smiling a little in return. "You go ahead. I'll watch."

Will jabbed his finger at me. "You are dancing with me before the night ends, Di Angelo." he said stubbornly.

"Sure. Now go have fun." I told him, leaning on a tree. "I promise I won't sneak away." I added.

Will backed into the crowd of dancers. He winked at me, then disappeared into the middle. Something about that wink made me feel uneasy, but I was too tired to find out what he was up to. I leaned on the wall and sipped on some punch.

My eyes found Will in the crowd. He was dancing, and he looked like he was having fun. He always complained about how he had no musical talent, but he was wrong. He could dance better than almost the entire camp.

The song ended. Will returned, smiling brightly. "That was fun."

"Mm." I said noncommittally. I promptly downed the rest of my punch. "Looked it."

He laughed. "Come on. Join me for this next one."

"No."

"You said it looked fun." He pointed out.

"Fun for you. Not me."

"Just one dance." He pleaded.

I chewed on my lip. He was stubborn. "All right. Just one dance." I agreed.

He grabbed my hand and pulled me out of my comfort zone and into the crowd. We ended up by the boombox. Will let go of me started dancing again. I stood, unsure of what do, occasionally shuffling my feet awkwardly.

Will noticed my pathetic attempts and rolled his eyes. "It's not that hard, Nico." he said.

"Easy for you to say." I snapped.

"It's really not." he persisted. "Here- take my hand."

I slid my hands into his warm ones. The song changed into something with a softer, slower beat.

"Now move your feet." he told me, slowly swaying from side to side. I copied him.

"Move a little closer." he continued, pulling me towards him until it felt like there was electricity crackling in the space between us. I blushed furiously.

"I am _not_ putting my hands on your shoulders." I growled at him.

"Mmm," Will agreed noncommittally. "Just dance."

"Fine." I huffed.

We swayed together as the music spiralled around us.

 **A/N: I picture them dancing to "All of Me" by John Legend in case you were curious. I just didn't feel like writing a song fic. I might change that if I have more time. I know it's a little rushed, but I didn't want to leave you guys hanging for too long.**

 **Ideas for E? I'm kinda stuck...Reviews are highly appreciated!**


	5. E is for Earring

**A/N: I AM A HORRIBLE PERSON. I LEFT YOU WITHOUT AN UPDATE. I AM SO SORRY. I WAS BAD. *smacks self for being bad***

 **So this chapter is going to be kinda sloppy but I'm not in the mood to make people cry yet so it'll be relatively happy.**

 **Suggestion came from EchoStory**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned PJO/HOO, Reyco would not be a thing. KILL IT WITH SOLANGELO (sorry Reyco shippers)**

 **E is for Earring**

"What is that?" Will asked.

I self consciously turned my face away. "What's what?" I asked, feigning ignorance.

"That thing," Will said, which wasn't very clear. "There's something in your ear."

"Is there?" I said innocently. We had been playing a game of cards in Cabin 13 before Will noticed my new...addition. The cards lay forgotten as Will squinted at me curiously.

"Yes, yes there is. What is it?" He got on his knees and leaned over. I quickly jerked away.

"Well, look at the time! I am late for something." I said awkwardly, scrambling to my feet.

Will looked at me suspiciously. "Twelve minutes ago you said you were free all afternoon."

"Did I say that? Well, I lied. I am late. For a very important thing. With Annabeth. So I better go. You know what she gets like." I said nervously, hoping he wouldn't try to look closer at my ear. Luckily, my longish hair obstructed his view.

Will continued eying me suspiciously. Finally, he sighed. "All right, Nico." He got up. "See you later." He left, without a hug or a kiss. A sure sign that I had upset him.

I waited until he was a few yards away before throwing myself down onto the bed and groaning. _Why did I have to get the stupid piercing? Why? Oh wait, I remember. Because of that idiot Jason!_

(Long story short, the incidents leading up to me getting my ear pierced had involved Jason and Thalia, a large group of animals being released from a nearby zoo, the smelly back of a truck and a lengthy discussion about significant others. I refuse to go into any more detail)

Will would hate my piercing when he saw it. I knew he would. It was bad enough I already dressed in dark colors and was moody ninety percent of the time. Now I had to add a piercing. S _unny children of Apollo don't date goth children of death! What is wrong with you Nico?_

"Nico?" Will's voice was at the door. I froze. It had only been a few minutes. Why was he already back? "Are you in there?"

No, no I wasn't. I was supposed to be with Annabeth by now. I didn't want him to think I had been trying to get rid of him- even though that was exactly what I had been trying to do.

By that logic, I should have stayed right where I was and waited for him to leave. But I didn't. I got up and opened the door.

Will looked a little startled. "I thought you were with Annabeth." he said.

"Change of plans." I responded, feeling bad about lying. "I don't have to be there for another ten minutes."

"Hmm." he responded, disbelief clear in his eyes. "I left my jacket here."

"Right. I'll get it." I said awkwardly. I found his jacket in the pile of cards and handed it to him.

"You know, if you didn't feel like hanging out, you could've just said so instead of lying about it." he said as he put it on.

"I-" Whatever I had been planning on saying got stuck in my throat. Will looked more disappointed than mad. I had ended up doing exactly what I had been trying not to do- pushing him away.

Will turned away, about to leave. _Tell him the truth._

"Will, wait." He looked at me. "There's a reason I've been acting weird."

"I'd love to hear it." He said.

"The thing in my ear." I said, pushing my hair back so he could see the piercing in my right ear. "I was worried about what you'd think." I admitted. "I didn't want you to see it."

I knew what the piercing looked like, even though I had avoided looking at it for the past three days after I'd gotten it. It was a small, simple stud. It was silver and was shaped like a crescent moon (Thalia's pick, naturally).

Will eyed the piercing for a few seconds before promptly bursting into laughter. Blood rushed to my face and I was about to slam the door when he grabbed my hand.

"What...is... _wrong_...with...you?" He got out between laughs, before finally calming down. "I'm your boyfriend! Do you seriously think I'm going to judge you based on a small ear piercing?"

"I don't know!" I snapped, feeling even more insecure now that he had pointed out how insecure I got.

He shook his head, still smiling. "We have to get your self-esteem up." he said.

"Shut up," I muttered, not wanting to admit he was right.

He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. "It looks very nice. I like the moon shape."

"Why? Your dad's the sun god."

"You can be the moon to my sun." he said.

I snorted. "That is a very poetic way of looking at it."

"Thank you. I've been working on my poetry skills." he said, smiling. "Where did you even get that piercing from?"

"Let's not talk about that."

"Would this have anything to do with your field trip with the Graces and the recent zoo outbreak?" he asked.

"I believe I distinctly heard you call yourself my boyfriend." I said, trying to change the subject.

"I did. Should I not?" he replied, raising his eyebrows.

I shrugged. "I kind of like it."

"All right. Now, _boyfriend,_ I think I have a game of Go Fish to win."

"You wish," I responded, pulling him into my cabin and closing the door.

 **A/N: That ended up being more serious than I wanted it to be in the middle so I ended up getting extra fluffy towards the end. Does Nico seem kind of OOC? Constructive criticism is appreciated, as are ideas for F, please and thank you. (Reviewers get extra Solangelo)**

 **~The Last Narnian**


	6. F is for Fiddle

**A/N: Wow there are people who are still reading this story. Better update. I apologize for not writing for like….almost five months? Ugh, I'm horrible. Warning: slight angst ahead? Maybe? I don't know what to call it.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned PJO/HOO, literally no one would have died.**

 **F is for Fiddle**

"You bought a fiddle?"

"No, my cabin bought a bunch of fiddles for everyone." Will explained.

"Why?" I felt like I was missing something.

Will shrugged. "Why not?"

"They're...fiddles. You already have a bunch of violins. Fiddles are the same thing."

Will gaped at me. "Nicholas Marcel Di Angelo-"

"That is not even close to my full name."

"-I am shocked, nay, appalled at your ignorance." he continued, ignoring my comment. "A fiddle is not the same thing as a violin by any means."

"Sure it is. They look the exact same. They make the same noises. They're played the same way." I argued. "To the everyday person, they're the same thing."

"Well maybe, but I am a child of Apollo. They are not the same thing to me."

"That's your problem, isn't it?" I said, rolling my eyes.

"For the record, everyday people can tell the difference too." Will continued. I stifled a laugh. Seeing him getting so worked up about this was kind of funny. "You'll see tonight."

"Tonight?"

"We're putting on a concert! Well, my siblings are. I'm just going to hang around awkwardly and play stage manager." he joked.

"Right...well, have fun trying to change my mind."

"Challenge accepted." The grin on his face should have told me he was planning something.

As usual, the entire camp turned out to watch the Apollo campers perform. Campfire songs were fun, but an actual concert was even better. I kept to the back of the crowd. I could see fine from where I was, so I saw no reason to try and force my way to the front.

The Apollo campers took their positions, holding their violins. Or were they fiddles? I honestly couldn't tell. My thought was interrupted by the beginning of the song. It was a merry, high energy tune that convinced me they were playing fiddles. The campers soon began clapping along. Something about the song was cheerful, even to me, and I could sense people around me starting to feel energetic.

The song ended and the musicians immediately launched into the next one. The tune was different, but it was just as high energy and exciting. People began dancing and laughing. At one point I saw Percy lift Annabeth into the air and spin her around. Everyone was having fun. And the music was definitely not the kind of music a violin would make.

Will suddenly appeared next to me, startling me. "Wanna dance?" he grinned.

"I thought you were on the stage." I said. I could have sworn I'd seen him right before the concert started.

"I told you, I was just playing stage manager. I got bored and wanted to see my moody angel."

"Don't call me that." He knew I hated pet names. I had no idea why he felt the need to keep calling me all sorts of uncreative cheesy things.

"Fine. Just come here and dance." He grabbed me and pulled me into a spin before I could stop him.

"Will!" I yelled, only half-surprised. He had a tendency to force me into dancing.

"Loosen up!" he yelled back, laughing. "Just 'cause you're eighty doesn't mean you have to act it!"

I laughed, and I humored him and danced for a few more songs. I was fairly tired by the end. Will was an energetic dancer, and I had to keep up with him.

"That actually wasn't that bad." I admitted.

"I think you'll like the next part more." He winked, and was suddenly gone.

"It's like he can shadow travel." I grumbled, rolling my eyes.

I saw the musicians change their instruments, picking up what I could only presume were violins. They started playing their next song. This time I could clearly see Will among them.

I recognized the Harry Potter theme, but once they finished that I had no idea what they were playing.

"This one's for you, Nico!" Will's voice called out.

Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no oh my gods why was this happening to me? I felt rather than saw the entirety of the camp turning to me, whispering, and I fervently wished I could shadow travel away. Damn it William!

The song was a soft, almost romantic ballad. I groaned internally. Why did Will have to be so fond of big, romantic gestures? Why was it so hard for him to understand that I simply did not want attention?

The song was still going in full strength, and I could hear vocals being added. Oh gods he was singing now. Singing! He hadn't even warned me. Blood rushed to my face, and I could feel the attention and the judgement of the campers on me. Before I could be any more embarrassed, I turned and fled.

I had no interest in returning to camp for at least three days. I didn't care how romantic everyone else thought Will was. All I cared about was the fact that Will kept forcing me into these uncomfortable situations. I knew it wasn't good for me to be so secluded, and I knew Will thought he was helping, but there was a line he had crossed when he called me out like that and I had no interest in seeing anyone until Will learned his lesson.

"Nico!" Will's voice rang through the woods. "I know you're out here!"

I sulked, stepping into the shadows of the trees. Will couldn't see as well as I could in the dark, and I was already wearing all black anyway.

"Nico, come on. I'm sorry."

I rolled my eyes. There was no way he was sorry. Will was in love with romance. He thought big gestures were the best thing ever, and he always thought I was overreacting whenever I said I didn't like them.

"I can feel you judging me." His voice was too close for comfort. "I actually am sorry. Come back to camp. It's gonna rain."

I kept very still, holding my breath. If Will found me, he would be able to physically drag me back to camp. I had yet to regain my old strength, and I couldn't use my powers.

"Nico?" Will stands right in front of me, his bright blue eyes flashing somewhere to my right. His flashlight sweeps the area, and reveals my hiding spot.

I exhaled, frustrated. Why couldn't he just mind his own business? Why couldn't he let me sulk in peace? I knew he wouldn't let me stay in the woods now.

"Leave me alone." I snapped.

"What's the matter with you?" Will frowned, concerned. "Come back to camp."

My patience finally snapped. "No! I won't. Not if I can help it."

Will gaped at me. I ignored his confusion and continued. "I'm sick of you always trying to pull off these big romantic gestures Will! I don't like them. I don't like how you put me on the spot all the time. I don't like being the center of attention. I don't like you forcing me into all these situations I'm uncomfortable in!"

"Nico, I-"

"Shut up!" I cut him off. I wasn't going to let him sweet talk me out of my anger before I had said everything I needed to say. "You always say all this crap about how you care about me and how you want to know me. But if you knew a single thing about me, or paid attention to me at all, you would know that I hate being dragged into the spotlight and embarrassed!"

"You weren't embarrassed!"

"Well I felt like I was William! You know how I feel about the campers. You know I'm barely comfortable with being out of the closet and being in whatever it is we have. But you keep doing things like the apple and the party and the concert just now. You keep flaunting this 'relationship' when you know that's something I'm not comfortable with."

"I didn't know you felt embarrassed to be my boyfriend." Will said quietly.

"What?" My head reeled. That was definitely not the point I had been trying to make.

"Look, Nico, I'm a romantic. I'm sorry if that makes you uncomfortable, but I don't see why just acting like a couple should be such a big deal."

"I'm fine with being a couple-"

"You're clearly not. You just said you're uncomfortable in this "whatever it is". You flinch when I kiss you, you don't let me hold your hand, you get uncomfortable whenever I try to do regular couple stuff with you."

"That's not what I was talking about, and you know it!" I stamped my foot childishly, but deep down I knew he was partially right.

"You just don't want to admit it!" Will snapped. "You know what Di Angelo? I was wrong. You may be eighty, but you're still just a child, and you sure as heck aren't ready for anything even close to a relationship."

"Are you breaking up with me?" I asked, caught off guard.

"Can't break up if you were never really together, can you?" Will grabbed his flashlight and stormed off, just as it began to rain.

 **A/N: So I know it says F is for Fiddle but it really means F is for Fight. Sorry. I abandoned this story for a few months and instead of starting over I decided to continue and it got ugly really quickly. Fortunately, I have every intention of getting them back together with lots of fluff in the next chapter! Presuming I remember to write it.**

 **I'm kind of rusty on the writing thing, so comment any criticism/compliments/ideas you have please! Hopefully G will be up soon!**

 **~ The Last Narnian**


	7. G is for Goat: Part 1

**A/N: I didn't write for two months because FINALS *slams head into desk* Sorry. But now school's out so hopefully I'll update more! Next week will be kind of chaotic because I have to take the ACT and go to NYC for a bit, but hopefully I can write.**

 **Yes, this is a continuation of "F is for Fiddle". I couldn't just break them up without having a fluffy makeup scene! I have not yet gotten ahold of the Trials of Apollo, so until I read it my fic might contradict some of the new information.**

 **This story is a little different from the others because it incorporates Will's POV as well as Nico's. I thought it would be good to see both of their thoughts about the breakup before they worked through their issues and got back together. It is also split into two parts because it's kind of long.**

 **Shout out to The Author for helping me write Percy's dialogue in this. He's actually pretty tricky to write, for me anyway. You should check out her stories on our joint account: TheAthenaSisters.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned PJO/HOO, I would be a middle-aged millionaire not a broke high school student.**

 **G is for Goat (I)**

 _ *** NICO ***_

"Nico?" Piper knocked on the door to Cabin 13. "Do you feel like coming out yet?"

I lay face down on my bed, refusing to answer. Piper would go away eventually, and I wasn't in the mood to come out anyway. Unless Hazel decided to come to New York from California and force me into socializing, I was content to simply rot in my cabin.

"Dude, you can't die in there." Piper said, as though she read my mind. "Just come out for dinner."

"Don't you dare try to charmspeak me," I snapped.

She sighed. "Fine. But Will won't be there. Are you sure you don't just want to come eat some barbecue?"

"I'll think about it. Just go away." I whined, trying to appease her so she'd leave.

She left, and I rolled onto my back.

It had been a week since Will had dumped me in the woods. At first, I had been too in shock to even wander back to camp. The rainy night had passed in some kind of haze, and eventually I ended up back in my cabin at dawn. I was sick for two days, a result of being caught in the rain in my weakened state. Piper had convinced me to go to the infirmary at one point, but Will's icy behavior sent me back to my cabin almost at once. I was accustomed to receiving warmth from the son of Apollo, not the cold shoulder. I had only left my cabin to occasionally hack at a dummy I pretended was Will or to let Piper and Annabeth force some food into me. Currently, I had not left the cabin for a full thirty hours and the girls were getting anxious.

There was a knock on the door. I sighed, and rallied myself to argue with Annabeth.

"Leave me alone, Annabeth," I whined loudly.

"Not Annabeth," Percy's voice was muffled by the door. "Can I come in?"

Percy wouldn't force me into doing things. He had been telling Annabeth to let me be for a while now.

"Sure. The door's open." I called, closing my eyes. I heard the door swing open and Percy walking towards the other bed. The mattress creaked as he sat down. I opened my eyes. "Anything in particular you want to say?" I asked.

Percy was frowning slightly, his green eyes fixed on my face. He was visibly concerned. "I'm worried about you, man."

I groaned. "Not you, too. Why is everyone so concerned about me? Isn't this typical breakup behavior?"

Percy's mouth twitched. "Not for dudes, no. And not when the relationship was only a month long."

"So? I'm not allowed to grieve now?" I snapped.

"Of course you are. Will was your first boyfriend. But you're Nico freaking Di Angelo. Last time I checked, the Ghost King doesn't completely fall apart when dumped. He makes the dumper in question regret dumping him. Ok that sounded better in my head, but the point is you're powerful and scary and you've spent too long sulking about Will."

"What am I supposed to do?" I complained.

"If you miss Will so bad, you go tell him so. If you're still pissed at him, you kick his butt first. He likes you too much to reject you. But you have to stop moping first, and both of you have to swallow your pride." He stood up. "I don't know what you fought about, but I'm dating Annabeth Chase of all people. I can tell you right now that apologizing is a big part of getting past any fight. She and I learned that, plenty of times, and you have to as well."

I stared at him. "When did you get so smart?"

Percy shrugged. "My girlfriend's the smartest girl in camp. Unfortunately, I think it kind of rubbed off. Now stop sulking or next time I'm here I'm going to physically drag you out of this coffin of a cabin." He glanced at the skull replicas on the shelf behind him and shuddered. "See you later, Nico."

I grunted in acknowledgement as he left, staring at the ceiling and mulling over what he had said. Maybe it was time to get over myself and properly talk to Will. Of course, Will would have to feel the same way.

"Nico!" Percy burst back into the cabin.

` I yelped. "You have to at least give me ten minutes!"

"Not that!" His eyes were wild. "Come out here! I think you should see this."

 _ *** WILL***_

"Solace!"

I jolted awake, startled out of a dream about dark hair and pale skin by Clarisse storming into the infirmary with a nasty gash on her arm.

"Evening, Clarisse," I yawned. "What did that to you?"

"Oh, that's not important." Clarisse waved off my concern. "One of my idiot brothers hit me during sword practice. I'm here about something else."

"What is it?"

"Tell your airhead siblings to stop having their dumb parties, or I will turn one of you into a kebab!"

"Duly noted," I sighed. The tension between the Apollo and the Ares cabins had been increasing as of late, despite my efforts to stop the arguing. "Anything else?"

Clarisse rolled her eyes, grabbed some bandages and left. I slumped back down in the chair I had been dozing in, yawning despite my efforts to stay alert. There was a blanket on the floor. I must have thrown it off when I stood.

When had I dozed off? The clock on the wall told me it was about six in the evening. The last I remembered was it being about three thirty. I sighed. Had no one come into the infirmary in all that time? The blanket gave me the answer. One of my siblings had come in and let me sleep instead of waking me. They had some dumb theory that I was throwing myself into work to cope with dumping Nico.

Splitting with Nico had been unfortunate, but there was only so much moodiness I could take. He was cute, but he was just too different from me for us to really work. I knew that, and I was fine with it. Yeah, it was tough at first, but it had been a week and I had made my peace with it. Nico had even come into the infirmary once, and I had been able to treat him professionally. Everything was fine. Alright, maybe I was working more than usual, but that was because I'd fallen behind while dating Di Angelo. I had to make up for that. My siblings were just being dramatic.

I yawned again, rubbing my eyes. Getting some more sleep wouldn't hurt. I placed the blanket on a bed and started cleaning up the infirmary, not noticing Annabeth until she was standing behind me.

"Will!"

I jumped, cursing in Greek and almost dropping the pile of papers I was holding. "Why are people wandering in here and surprising me today?" I complained.

"Just your bad luck, I suppose." Annabeth said, glancing around the infirmary. "Are you the only one in here?"

"Yeah, it's been a slow day. Which is good." I added. "Listen, if my siblings did something to your cabin I'll just make it up to you myself okay?"

"Hmm?" Annabeth turned back to me. "No, it's not about your siblings. Although I would appreciate it if they turned down the volume."

"Right." I said, making a mental note. "So why are you here? Do you need more first aid stuff? We're nearly out-"

"Not that either, Solace. I wanted to talk to you about Nico." She said.

I stiffened. "What about him?" I asked. I did not want to talk about Nico, but I was too scared of Annabeth.

"I think you made a mistake."

"Really," I deadpanned. A lot of people had been telling me that.

"Yes," Annabeth rolled her eyes. "I've known Nico a lot longer than you have. I don't know what you fought about, but I can guess."

"Then you know why it's a good thing that we split up." I said coldly, filing away the papers.

"I understand why you would think splitting up was the solution. That was probably your first fight, correct?"

I thought about it. Nico and I had petty arguments, but that had been our first big fight. "Yeah." I confirmed.

" _Then you have absolutely no business breaking up!_ " Annabeth's voice rose quickly. "Couples get in fights all the time! Do you just give up on the relationship after the first big disagreement? No, you don't!"

I cowered, thrown off by her swift change in demeanor.

"Here's the deal," she told me firmly. "Nico has been moping in his cabin for days. You've been throwing yourself into your work-"

"No I haven't!"

"Yes you have!" she snapped. "Now stop arguing with me! The point is, you clearly miss each other, so I suggest you both suck it up and apologize." She took a deep breath. "You don't understand how much you've been helping Nico." she said, significantly calmer. "When you started dating, he smiled and laughed like he never did before. He became comfortable around people. He needs you. And you need him."

I snorted. "No, I don't. I was fine before I met him, and I can be fine without him."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow at me.

"I'm working on being fine." I insisted.

She crossed her arms and glared.

I sighed in defeat. "Fine. You're right. I'll try to talk to him. I think we both screwed up."

"Of course you did. Boys excel at screwing up. Try dating Percy." Annabeth smiled.

I laughed. "I can imagine."

"Annabeth!" Percy burst into the infirmary, looking completely terrified. Nico was right behind him. My heart lept into my throat.

"Speak of the devil," Annabeth turned to face her boyfriend. "What's wrong?"

"I think you should really come see this." Nico interjected. His face was pale, and he seemed thinner than the last time I saw him. He registered my presence in the room, his dark eyes meeting mine, and my heart splashed into my stomach from my throat, releasing a flock of butterflies.

"Will, you too!" Percy pulled my attention away from Nico. "We might need your healing skills."

"Give me a minute," I grabbed some first aid stuff and shoved into a bag, slinging it over my shoulder. "Let's go."

Percy led the three of us out of the infirmary and to the edge of the woods behind the mess hall. Nico and I ended up next to each other, creeping along side by side.

I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. He was significantly paler and thinner. His hair was messy, and there were holes in his sweater. I wanted to talk to him but I wasn't sure what to say. He noticed my attention and met my gaze.

"What?" he asked roughly, trying to sound tough. I hid a smile.

"I was thinking," I began

"About what? If you say something cheesy like 'us' I will punch out your front teeth," he warned.

I didn't bother hiding the smile this time. "Well, I can't really lie to you, can I?" I said, amused. "But in all seriousness-"

"Look!" Percy interrupted our conversation. Nico threw him a dark look, but I looked where Percy was pointing.

"Is that a goat?" Annabeth asked, disbelief coloring her voice. "You dragged us out here for a goat?"

It was a seemingly normal goat, taking a drink from the creek without a care in the world.

Percy shook his head. "You don't understand-"

The goat noticed us. It lifted its head, studied us for a moment, and opened its mouth. White-hot flames lept from its mouth in our direction.

 **A/N: Dun dun dunnnnnnn! Part 2 should be up soon. I was trying to avoid making it drag on too long but I think I failed. This is like thrice as long as my chapters usually are. Whoops.**

 **If you have any comments, questions, concerns, compliments, constructive criticism, etc, feel free to hit that review button! I love seeing what you guys think.**

 **~ The Last Narnian**


	8. G is for Goat: Part 2

**A/N: Look at me I'm writing Part 2 only 3 days after Part 1.**

 **I took the ACT this morning so that's a load off my chest *phew* now I pray I didn't fail it. *crosses fingers***

 **I am going to be in NYC (gonna look for camp) from the 14th to the 17th so I'll try and get another chapter up before I go, but it might be hard so no promises!**

 **Disclaimer: Blah blah blah I own nothing but the plot you know this by now. And now for the long awaited reunion!**

 **G is for Goat (II)**

 _ ***WILL***_

The breath was knocked out of me as Nico tackled me and forced me to the ground. The fire passed above us, so close I could feel the heat on my face even as Nico covered the rest of my body. Beside us, Percy was hovering over Annabeth.

"What the heck?" Annabeth sprang to her feet, drawing a knife. "What is that thing?"

Nico quickly scrambled off me. "No idea!" He called. "But it seems dangerous!"

I stood up, more shaken up than I'd like to admit. The goat was still there, pacing back and forth and watching us. Suddenly, it leapt into the air. Lightning arced down from its hooves towards us as it flew over our heads and headed towards the lake.

"You have got to be kidding me," Percy complained as we dodged the bolt. "It shoots lightning?"

"Percy, what else does it do?" Annabeth snatched up the knife she had dropped and ran after the goat. I quickly followed her.

"I saw it fly and it shot fire at me," Percy said, running beside me. Nico was on my other side. "Grover said he saw it breathe poison gas and he says it runs really fast too."

"Delightful," Nico grumbled next to me. "What kind of monster is that thing?"

"No idea," Annabeth panted. "I'd say something experimented on it. Nico, Will, you two go raise the alarm in camp. Percy and I will try to keep it away from the cabins."

"Got it," Nico turned on his heel and ran towards camp. I followed him.

"You go to Chiron," I told him. "I'll go the cabins."

He glanced at me and nodded. "Okay. Be careful. That thing could swoop out of the sky at any moment."

I grinned at him. "I'll be fine."

An arrow shot over our heads and buried itself in a tree next to Nico.

"Get down!" I grabbed him and pulled him to the ground.

He grunted. "What's that you said about being fine?"

"Oh, shut up," I told him, happy to banter with him like normal.

"Hold your fire!" a familiar voice called behind us. "It's just two campers."

Nico lifted his head. "Thalia!"

Thalia Grace emerged from the trees as Nico and I stood up. "Where were you two running off to?" she asked.

"Back to camp," I explained. "There's some monster goat wandering the woods. We're trying to warn the others."

Thalia's eyes widened. "We're tracking that thing! Which way did it go?"

"Percy and Annabeth were chasing it towards the lake," Nico told her. "They're probably down there somewhere."

"Percy might be able to take that thing, but he doesn't know what it does." Thalia cursed, before turning around and letting out a series of sharp whistles. "I'm sending some Hunters to camp to warn the others. Will, do you have any skill with a bow?"

"Um...:" I blinked. "I'm an alright shot, but I'm really more of a medicine man." I explained, embarrassed.

"We'll need archers." Thalia handed me her bow and quiver. "I'll get another one. Look for the goat. My Hunters and I will spread out through the woods. If you find it, let out three sharp whistles."

"That we can do." Nico glanced at me knowingly. I hid a smile.

"Don't engage it or harm it." she continued. "That goat belongs to Hecate. It's one of her experiments. She imbued it with powerful magic, and now that it's loose, it's extremely dangerous. Go! Quickly!" Thalia urged.

"This is way too much running for one day," I grumbled. Nico was already off, and I sighed before following him through the woods.

 _ ***NICO***_

I was highly aware of Will behind me as we made our way to the woods. I could feel his breath on my neck, distracting me from the task at hand. I stumbled over a root, waving off Will's concern as I corrected myself.

"See anything yet?" I asked, scanning the skies.

Will's eyes were also trained on the sky. He had an arrow nocked in the bow, ready to shoot. "Nothing so far," he replied.

"It's weirdly quiet," I muttered. "You'd think we'd hear Annabeth and Percy trying to fight the thing."

"You'd think," he agreed, his gaze lowering from the sky and resting on my face. I felt the blood rise, and I quickly turned away before he saw the reddening of my cheeks.

"Nico?"

"What?" I responded, wincing at the too-rough sound of my voice.

Will took a deep breath, as though he was steeling himself for his next words. "I'm...sorry," he managed.

I halted, turning to look at him quizzically. Will was usually extremely confident in himself, but for once he was uncertain as he watched me, gauging my response.

"I-"

My response was interrupted by a yell and a sudden wave of water crashing down on us. Will sputtered, pushing back his wet hair. I hadn't noticed how close we were to the lake.

"What in Hades is Percy _doing_?" he growled, the moment dead and buried six feet under.

"No idea. But he probably needs some backup by now," I replied.

We cautiously crept to the line of trees, kneeling and peering at the scene in front of us. The goat seemed to be standing on top of the water in the middle of the lake. Percy and Annabeth were on the ground, soaked and tired. The goat had sent the wave, not Percy.

"That looks reassuring," Will murmured.

Percy struggled to his feet, raising his sword. "Water is _my_ element, you rogue barn animal!" he yelled.

"Call the Hunters," I whispered urgently, before standing up and calling out, "Percy!"

"What?" Percy and Annabeth both turned to me, just as Will let out three sharp whistles. I hissed, clamping my hands over my ears.

"Maybe a little warning next time?" I snarled.

"What? You told me to do it," Will shrugged nonchalantly.

"How lovely, you've made up," Annabeth said drily. "Did you raise the alarm back at camp?" Percy had already turned his attention back to the goat.

"The Hunters showed up, but listen, you guys can't fight the goat." Will replied, getting to his feet.

"Why the heck not?" Percy asked. His attempts at driving the goat back to the shore were becoming increasingly unsuccessful.

"It belongs to Hecate," I explained. "She gave it some of her power, and it's under her protection."

Annabeth cursed in Greek. "So we can't hurt it, but we can't let it roam free either."

"No, but the Hunters are coming-" Just as I said it, Thalia and her friends appeared.

"Annabeth. Percy," Thalia nodded in greeting. "I see you've met Melody," she continued, gesturing at the goat.

"Oh look it has a name," Will grumbled beside me.

"What are we supposed to do, Thalia?" Annabeth asked.

Thalia signalled something to the Hunters, and they began circling the lake, and the goat. "Help us capture it so we can deliver it to Hecate," she said, keeping her eyes trained on the goat. "Percy, try and overwhelm it by taking control of the lake."

"Well, that sure didn't occur to me at all," Percy huffed, and was quickly quelled by a look from his girlfriend.

"Annabeth, guard Percy while he's working. Will, you can help my Hunters try and shoot it. Use the blunt arrows so you stun it instead of actually injuring it. Nico, I need you to capture the goat once it's on land." she instructed.

"Um, he can't use his powers," Will interjected.

"I can use them enough to capture a goat," I snapped, even though I was flattered by Will trying to keep me safe.

"Still, you should probably avoid straining yourself." Thalia handed me a rope. "Use this if you need to."

"Thanks," I murmured, trying not to sound sarcastic. The rope looked fairly useless.

The goat watched all the proceedings from the middle of the lake with a fairly bored look on its face. It didn't consider us threats, or it was just waiting to see what we would do.

Percy took a deep breath, and the water around the goat began swirling into a whirlpool. The goat still looked fairly unconcerned, leaping neatly out of the whirlpool onto a different section of the lake, closer to the shore. A few of the Hunters fired their arrows, and one even launched a net at the goat, slowly but surely driving it towards the shore. Thalia ran to help.

The goat suddenly seemed to realize what we were trying because it lept into the air and soared over the heads of the Hunters, towards us. Percy sent up a wall of water to block its path, Annabeth at his back supporting him, but the animal burst through a moment later. Will loosed an arrow at its head. Blinded by the water in its eyes, the goat was unable to dodge in time, and it was stunned by the arrow.

"Nico, the rope!" Thalia yelled at me.

I started and realized the rope was glowing with Hecate's magic. Not entirely useless, then. I obeyed my instinct and sent one end of the rope at the stunned goat. With a mind of its own, the rope wrapped around its neck.

"You got it! Reel it in!" Will yelled from next to me, another arrow ready.

I braced and began pulling as hard as I could, but the goat suddenly recovered. Bleating anxiously, it dove straight down into the lake. I was caught off guard and yelped as the surprisingly strong animal dragged me into the water before I could realize what was happening.

I held my breath, struggling to get the stupid animal to resurface. Could it breathe underwater too? _Right about now would be a good time for some water magic, Percy._ I could feel my oxygen draining away.

As if in answer, I heard the vague sound of people diving into the lake. A pair of arms wrapped around me, and someone took the rope from my hands. There was some pressure from beneath me, and suddenly my head broke the surface of the lake. I gasped for air, startled by the presence of Will's face so close to mine.

"Hey," Will grinned at me, wet hair falling into his eyes.

I gaped at him for a few seconds before blurting, "I'm sorry, too!" He stared at me, confused. "About- about the fight we had, and being embarrassed to call you my boyfriend, and all that stuff." I managed.

Recognition registered somewhere in his eyes, and he sighed. "Di Angelo, have you ever heard of something called timing?"

I heard laughter from the shores, and I realized the Hunters, Percy and Annabeth had been able to hear us. Some campers had rushed to the scene as well. The goat was secure, and even it looked amused, the smug thing.

"You're already in the lake?!" Clarisse seemed disappointed at missing the opportunity to throw us in. "Ugh, just kiss already!"

The crowd that had gathered began chanting for us to kiss. I felt the heat rush to my face, and Will grinned at me. "Do you want to?"

I smiled. He was asking before doing the big, public gesture for once. It was progress. "Sure."

The crowd cheered.

 **A/N: *wipes sweat from brow* Phew! I genuinely thought this chapter would kill me. I was tempted to scrap it and restart a couple of times, but I stuck with it. Apologies for not writing in an actual description of the kiss, but I'll leave your imaginations to it.**

 **This was my first attempt at writing a fight scene soooo what do ya think? I know I probably screwed up the description of Percy. Reviews are the fanfic writer's blue cookies :)**

 **Also I am taking suggestions for H because I am stuck again…..unless….*scribbles down idea***

 **~ The Last Narnian**


	9. H is for Hiatus

**A/N: So I had a sudden burst of inspiration, sat down, and cranked out this...thing. But yeah. This is (probably) the last chapter I'm posting before my NYC trip. The next one should be up after June 19th? I think?**

 **Warning: SPOILERS FOR SHERLOCK SEASON 3. REPEAT:** _ **DO NOT READ**_ **IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED SHERLOCK SEASON 3. Don't say I didn't warn you. If you don't watch Sherlock, a) what is wrong with you, b) proceed**

 **This one is also in Will's POV because I thought it made more sense that way and I kind of wanted to explore his character and reaction to Nico. Don't shoot me.**

 **Disclaimer: *Yoda voice* Me nothing owned by. (did I do that right? I don't think I did. Whoops)**

 **H is for Hiatus** (and How Nico can't deal with it very well)

Nico was sitting cross-legged on the floor of cabin 13, eyes glued to the television we'd borrowed from the Stolls while he munched on some popcorn. I made to sit down and wrap my arm around him- it was date night, after all- but he didn't even acknowledge me. I glanced at the television, recognizing the series 3 finale of _Sherlock_ , and sighed in defeat.

"I knew it was dangerous," I muttered.

"What's dangerous?" Nico asked, still watching intently.

"Getting you into SuperWholock," I complained, smiling at the quizzical expression on his face as he turned to look at me.

"Super what now?"

"That would be the name for the combined fandom of _Supernatural_ , _Doctor Who_ and _Sherlock_ ," I explained, planting a kiss on his forehead. It must be nice, being so out of touch that SuperWholock was foreign.

"Oh," Nico had already turned back to the climax scene playing. "Gods, how does Magnussen remember all that stuff?"

"It's a show," I pointed out.

"Yeah, but it's still impressive," Nico retorted. "Maybe that's what Annabeth uses- a mind palace."

I snorted. "Wouldn't surprise me."

Nico didn't reply. I groaned internally. _Sherlock_ was a great show and all, but it was supposed to be date night for Nico and _I_ , not Nico and Benedict Cumberbatch. _Although I wouldn't blame Nico if he went for Ben over me,_ I mused. _Now keep in mind Will, this is Nico's first time watching the show. Once he's through with it, you can have him to yourself again._

"Holy Hades!" Nico's exclamation jerked me back to reality. "Did he just-"

"Yes, yes, Sherlock shot Magnussen. He should have done it a long time ago, honestly." I rolled my eyes.

"They're not going to arrest him, are they?"

"Well, he did just commit murder," I replied, amused at Nico's concern for the fictional character. _Looks like Nico Di Angelo of all people is a fanboy._

Nico shook his head. "He shot a villain, though." he argued. The bowl of popcorn lay forgotten as Nico leaned forward, eyes wide and chin in his hands as he watched Sherlock say goodbye to John, snorting a little when Ben delivered the line about Sherlock being a girl's name.

 _Oh my gods, I'm dating a fanboy. The cutest fanboy on Earth maybe, but still a fanboy. He's going to go insane now, isn't he?_ I sighed and flopped down on my back. I could deal with moody Nico, but moody, emotionally unstable, SuperWholock Nico would probably be the death of me.

"Oh my gods!" Nico screeched, reaching a pitch that boys usually stopped hitting after puberty. "How?"

I peered at the screen, the sight of Moriarty telling me all I needed to know.

"He shot himself in the head! How did he-" he stopped and gaped at the TV as the credits rolled. " _WHAT?"_

 _And here it comes_ , I sighed, resigning myself to the inevitable meltdown.

"That's it? That can't be it! They can't just end it there!" Nico had leapt to his feet and was getting progressively louder. His voice drifted out the open windows of the cabin, no doubt attracting some attention.

I stood as well. "Nico, babe-"

"Don't you 'babe' me!" Nico turned on me. He looked dangerously unhinged. "Tell me what happens next!"

I held up my hands. "Ok, ok, calm down. I think Series 4 is coming out in a bit," I said in my most soothing voice.

Nico visibly relaxed. "Really? When?"

"Um…" I searched in my own mind palace for the date. I had said it was coming out more to calm him than anything, but I was fairly sure they had set a date. I winced when I remembered. "January, I believe," I said slowly.

Nico threw the bowl of popcorn at me. I yelped and ducked.

"I can't wait till January!" Nico howled.

"I know, just-" I vaguely remembered there being some sort of special. "I think they released a special last Christmas! You can watch that!"

Suddenly I was on my back, Nico sitting on my chest. " _Show me where it is_ ," he growled, looking disturbingly close to a wild animal. I gulped.

"If you just let me up, I'm sure it's on Netflix," I said slowly.

He jumped off, grabbed the remote and quickly scrolled through the list of _Sherlock_ episodes, whooping when he found an episode entitled "The Abominable Bride", and started watching. I remained where I was, heart pounding. _That was something else._

I would have to deal with that beast again once he finished the special, so that gave me about an hour and a half to come up with something. Maybe I could introduce him to Tumblr….

 **A/N: Nico is me after I finished watching Series 3. I started watching it in April and finished in a week. I can't tell you how devastated I was. *weeps* So yeah please watch Sherlock it's good. It'll rip your heart out and drive you insane but it's good. Plus it has cute British dudes.**

 **Remember, reviews are my fuel *hint hint nudge nudge***

 **~ The Last Narnian**


	10. I is for Isolated

**A/N: Um…..how long has it been? *glances at date and cringes* Well it's only been like five months guys okay? *shields self from rotten fruit***

 **Because I'm an American I get to have Thanksgiving break so I decided to write a chapter while I was at it. I'm a junior in high school so right now I'm kind of dying slowly. Not to mention deciding on a good word for I was a pain in the rear end. So here's your Thanksgiving gift! If you're not American here's a random Thursday gift!**

 **Disclaimer: Do I still have to do this? I DON'T OWN IT**

 **I is for Isolated**

Nico had been alone for a long time.

It started when he was young. Even as a child, he'd always felt like an outsider. That was why he'd thrown himself into games. People talked to you if you played the same games they did, to compare strategies, to share inside jokes. To be friends for a few brief moments. Simple games like hopscotch to more complex ones like Mythomagic- Nico played them all, and kids spoke to him for it.

Having friends had always been a struggle for Nico. He had his sister, and he'd felt for a long time that was all he'd needed. She was the only person in the world who understood him. Maybe he'd never been able to connect with other children because of who his father was, or maybe it was because he simply didn't have a father for a long time, but Bianca had been his best friend because she was in the same situation.

But Bianca had always had a much easier time talking to other kids - at least, before the Lotus Hotel. So Nico tried to copy her. He tried to be happy and smiling and welcoming to the people he met, the way Bianca was. Even after they lost their mother, and went to the Lotus Hotel, Nico continued being happy after his sister stopped smiling, because now he knew she needed it. And Nico found Mythomagic, and it wasn't hard at all to be excited about that. But Bianca was never quite as happy as she once was, so he had to be happy for her.

Bianca was still the brave one, even if she wasn't happy. And that was why it was inevitable that she left him, first to be a Hunter, then to save her friends. And Nico forgot how to be happy and friendly and everything she had taught him, and he quickly turned into his childhood self.

Isolated.

 _I never realized how much being alone hurts,_ Nico reflected.

Will's breath puffed against his neck. "What are you thinking about?" he murmured, resting his chin on Nico's shoulder.

Nico shivered and pressed deeper into his embrace. "You know how you're always telling me that I'm a depressed loner?"

"Yeah?"

"I was thinking about how annoying you are when you do that," he commented, yawning.

Will snorted, his breath warming Nico's neck once more. Nico sighed, lazily turning his head to kiss his boyfriend's forehead. The couple lay in Cabin 13, the game of checkers they had been playing abandoned in favor of spooning on the bed when they both realized they were exhausted from training. Will absentmindedly intertwined his fingers with Nico's. "What are you really thinking about?"

Nico traced the archer's calluses on Will's palm. Will always complained about how archery ruined his hands, but Nico secretly thought the calluses added to his charm. "My sister,"

"Which one?"

Nico smiled. He liked being reminded that yes, he did in fact have a wonderful sister still in this world, even if Bianca no longer was. "Bianca,"

Will stiffened slightly, and Nico instantly turned around to face him. He was frowning. "What for?"

Nico kissed his nose, and the frown vanished. "Don't worry. It was more of a childhood nostalgia thing. I'm not mourning. Yet," he added as an afterthought.

Will grunted in understanding. "What do you miss about your childhood?"

"Just her and my mom, really," Nico replied. "I used to be really isolated as a kid. Bianca kind of forced me to be social."

"'Used to be', huh?"

"I'm working on it," Nico huffed. "You have to admit, I've been making a lot of progress,"

"That's true," Will smiled. "You don't turn bright red when I kiss you in public. It's more of a subtle rouge color these days,"

"Shut up,"

"And you cuddled with me for a good twenty minutes there. That's some kind of record for you," Will continued, eyes twinkling.

"If you ever tell anyone that I cuddled with you- especially that I let you be the big spoon- I swear I will tell everyone about that poem you wrote on my birthday."

"That's not fair!"

"Fire against fire, Solace," Nico shrugged. "All's fair in love and war."

"It's a good thing I love you too much, then," Will commented offhandedly, not seeming to realize what he'd said, before leaning towards Nico.

Nico smiled. "I suppose," he replied before Will captured his lips. He'd muster up the courage to say it back someday.

He'd been isolated for a long time, so he couldn't help loving the boy who'd set him free.

 **A/N: And…..scene! I enjoy fluff too much if you couldn't tell. Casually cuddling? Spooning? Nico being the little spoon? Nico giving his acknowledged boyfriend little forehead and nose kisses? Aaaaaaaaaargh *dies***

 ***resurrects* I think I compensate for my lack of an S.O. by making my OTP do cute things. Questions, comments, concerns, ideas, etc, etc….Review!**

 **~ The Last Narnian**


	11. J is for Just Kidding

**A/N: You guys I actually did start writing this only four days after I posted the last one because I wanted to be responsible and then finals happened so if any of y'all care about my life read the rant if not skip to the next paragraph.**

 **YOU GUYS WHAT THE _FREAKIN FRICK_ IS JUNIOR YEAR OKAY LIKE I DECIDED TO BE SMART FOR ONCE AND TAKE AP CLASSES THEN FINALS HAPPENED AND _NOPE NOPE NOPE_ AND IF ANY OF YOU STILL HAVEN'T TAKEN AP CLASSES _DON'T DO IT_ CHILDREN  ESPECIALLY AP LANG NEVER EVER _EVER_ TAKE AP LANG I SWEAR TO GOD THIS IS WHAT I GET FOR TRYING TO PROVE MY WORTH TO ATHENA ALSO _NEVER_ TAKE AP CHEM JUST DON'T OKAY BUT take AP gov though because that class was chill and super interesting *sigh* I don't even know you guys I'm just riding the post-finals stress out okay I'm sorry I'll feel better once first semester grades are up junior year is super important for college and stuff and I'm dying *deep breaths* Thank you for bearing with me.**

 **I don't know if I made any claims about AUs in the fic earlier on, but this one is an AU! So if I ever said I wouldn't do an AU, I lied, ignore that. I'm gonna say the characters are college-age and mortal in this one, okay? I know, that's boring, but I can't keep doing fluff scenes in camp when there are sooo many other places for Solangelo to be cute.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Nico and Will or any of the other characters, I wouldn't be writing fanfic about them, would I? Or maybe Rick does write fanfic to screw with us….hmmmmm...**

* * *

 **J is for Just Kidding**

He tapped his foot on the floor impatiently, either ignoring or oblivious to the looks he was getting from the others waiting in the terminal. His hands flew over a Rubik's cube, constantly solving it, scrambling it, and solving it again. Will had a feeling that this was the kind of guy who needed to be occupied at all times, despite the fact that he seemed to be lost in thought instead of focusing on the puzzle in his hands. His dark eyes kept darting to the clock and back. His carry-on lay by his feet: a black suitcase, with a red cover on the handle to distinguish it from the rest.

Will sipped his coffee. It wasn't very often he had the pleasure of seeing a cutie like this, and it was extremely lucky that he had happened to appear while Will was bored out of his mind waiting for his flight back to New York from Austin. He watched as the cutie started eating an apple while still fiddling with the cube, and wondered if he happened to be a student at New York University as well. If only he could be that lucky. He shifted and adjusted his own carry-on that lay by his feet: a similar black suitcase that was covered with smiley face stickers on the handle instead of a red cover. Will contemplated talking to the boy for a few minutes: even if he wasn't gay, he still seemed like an interesting person. Will was a people person, so he generally preferred talking to others and socializing, especially when the alternative was reading the terrible book of haiku his dad had given him as a birthday present.

The cutie suddenly threw the Rubik's cube over his shoulder into a trash can, a satisfying _thud_ confirming its landing, and zipped open a pocket on his carry-on before tucking away the apple core safely. Will stared, before chuckling at the boy's apparent mix-up. The noise in the otherwise quiet airport gate drew the cutie's attention. "What?"

"Think about what you just did," Will teased.

The boy looked at him for a moment, before his dark eyes widened in realization. "Crap!" he yelped, springing up, drawing the attention of quite a few people. The boy, of course, didn't care, running over to the trash can.

Will smothered his laughter. "I don't think you want that cube anymore," he called.

The boy sighed and slumped over to his seat, his messy black hair falling into his eyes. "That's my third one this month…" he whined as he flopped down, once more ignoring the dirty looks that were thrown his way.

Will chuckled again at that. "What happened to the other two?"

"You don't wanna know," he moaned plaintively.

"I'm sure you'll live," Will replied, pretending to return to the cringe-worthy book. He knew the cutie wouldn't be quiet for long now that his attention was on Will.

Or so he thought….

After five minutes of dead silence, Will looked up again to see the boy doodling on his arm with a highlighter.

"What-" Will bit off his question, but the boy still looked up and seemed to realize what he was doing.

"Oh! Whoops," he laughed sheepishly, capping the highlighter and putting it away. Will smiled in return.

"So why are you headed to New York?" he prodded, sensing he would have to keep this boy's attention on him.

"School n' stuff," the boy replied absentmindedly, scratching the back of his head and peering at the clock again. "You?"

"Same thing, I guess-" Will was interrupted by the boy jumping up as the clock hit 11:15.

"Gotta take a call," he murmured as he searched around for his phone and walked away.

 _Gotta take a call, huh?_ Will leaned back in his chair. He doubted it was a work call, so it was something personal then. It could easily be family or a friend, but the way the boy jumped up, the way he'd been watching the clock so carefully, made it more likely that it was a different special someone. _Long distance doesn't last long._ Will comforted himself, but knew it was unlikely he and this boy would last long either.

* * *

 _Love is just a rose_

 _It is pretty, but it hurts_

 _Stay away, children_

Will groaned loudly, ignoring the look he got from the woman sitting next to him. He would never understand how his dad had become a famous poet. He abruptly slammed the book shut and tucked it in the seat pocket in front of him before peering at the clouds outside his window. He wondered what had happened to the cutie he'd been talking to earlier: it was a shame he'd never even gotten his name before he'd vanished to take that phone call.

 _He's probably on this flight,_ Will mused. He wondered if he could find him by going to the bathroom, but shuddered at the thought of using the airplane's toilet. He'd read one too many papers about the hygiene risks of public restrooms, and airplanes were the _worst_. The struggles of being a pre-med student: you start to become hyper-aware of the germs around you.

"Hey!" Will looked up at the sound and was pleasantly surprised when he saw the subject of his thoughts standing in the aisle. The redhead woman sitting next to him seemed annoyed, but Will and the boy both ignored her.

"Hey, yourself," Will greeted. "Where'd you vanish to?"

The boy grinned, a twinkle in his eye. "Secret. Lady, you mind trading places so I can sit with my friend here?"

The woman was practically fuming, but she huffed and got up. The boy pointed her to an empty seat quite a few rows down before happily plopping down next to Will.

"So what's your name?" he asked, stretching languidly.

"I'm Will. Will Solace," the blond responded, reaching out to shake his hand. "And you are?"

The boy still had a twinkle in his dark eyes as he replied "Nico di Angelo," and took Will's hand. "Nice to meet you."

"So…" Will sat back, contemplating how to figure out whether Nico was gay or not.

"I'm very gay and very single," Nico said suddenly, smiling.

Will blinked. "Did I say that out loud?"

Nico laughed. "No, but I could tell you wanted to know, and I am. What about you?"

"Equally gay, equally single," Will replied, grinning. "Glad we got that out of the way,"

Nico grunted in agreement. "Tell me about yourself, Solace."

Will shrugged. "Okay, um, I'm nineteen, I'm a sophomore doing pre-med at NYU but I'm originally from Austin. I'm a cat person, a morning person, I like dancing but not singing, and I know a strange amount of trivia about Harry Potter." Nico's smile kept growing as Will kept talking. "Am I to your liking?"

"Very much so," Nico replied. "It's almost unreal."

"Well, tell me about yourself then," Will teased. "This is a two-way street, you know."

"Fine, fine." Nico rolled his eyes. "I'm almost nineteen, I'm going to be a freshman at NYU studying psychology, and I'm originally from Italy but I moved to Texas when I was little. I'm also a cat person, but I hate the sun and people in general and when I'm pissed I can probably vaporize you with a glare," he said in a flat voice.

"Very dateable," Will commented. "You don't look that Italian."

"Well, I'm only half-Italian and I haven't been there in years," he replied.

The two boys continued talking until they got close to New York, and Nico decided to return to his seat. "Look for me in the airport, okay?" He told Will as he got up. "I might need help getting to NYU,"

Will smiled and promised to come find him. _What a lucky day,_ he mused as his redhead neighbor returned.

* * *

Will scowled. He'd done as asked and looked for Nico, but the boy didn't seem to be anywhere in sight. He was starting think Nico was avoiding him, since he didn't seem to be too concerned with letting Will find him. Still upset at losing such a cutie and berating himself for not getting his number, he stalked over to baggage claim, hoping to find Nico there at least.

 _I just can't believe it,_ Will fumed. Nico had seemed nice enough, and he was funny, and it was quite possible they could maintain a relationship, and he had just slipped through his fingers. NYU was a big campus: how was he supposed to find the boy? He dragged his black smiley-faced suitcase behind him and leaned against a wall, sighing. Lazily, his eyes searched the group of people waiting for their bags, before zeroing in on a familiar black suitcase with a red cover.

"Nico!" Will called, pushing himself off the wall. Nico didn't hear him- the suitcase started rolling away. Will almost started running after him, then remembered his own suitcase and grabbed it, cursing it for slowing him down.

Will followed the black suitcase down an escalator, noticing that there was now another boy with Nico, standing fairly close and listening to him attentively. Will fumed, and chased them through the airport until finally they ended up outside on the curb.

Panting, Will walked up to the pair. "...should be here soon enough…" Nico was telling the other boy, who just rolled his eyes.

"I say we just go. Honestly, I don't know why you have to go chatting up everyone you meet. You didn't even mention this guy on the phone earlier, and suddenly he's like your best friend." he complained. Will narrowed his eyes. So this was the guy Nico had been waiting for a call from. No wonder he was trying to get in their way now.

"Nico!" Both boys turned around.

"What?" They both replied, the other one shooting Nico a look.

"Oh, hey Will!" Nico brightened. "There you are! Nico, this is Will. Will, this is the real Nico di Angelo, who as I mentioned is very gay and very single."

Will stared at Nico. "What?"

The other boy, meanwhile, was fuming. "Leo I swear-"

"Oh, shut up, you'll thank me later," Nico- no, _Leo,-_ hoisted his suitcase up. "You sounded so upset when you were talking about Percy, I couldn't help myself! And this one is actually gay! Will, listen, everything I told you about Nico is true, except he actually moved to D.C. after Texas and Italy, and I think you two will get along great! I'll see you back at NYU later, you crazy kids. Use protection!" he added as he flagged down a cab.

The real Nico was turning an impressive shade of red. " _Valdez I'm going to kill you-"_

"Yeah, whatever," Leo waved him off. "Just make sure you go on a date with Solace here, okay? I spent a lot of time and effort getting him for you, Sunshine. See ya!" He hopped in the cab and sped off.

Nico promptly buried his face in his hands. Will just stood there, unable to speak. They remained that way for several minutes, before finally Nico looked up again, the red in his face having receded to a pale pink in his cheeks.

"I- I'm very sorry about this," he stammered. "Leo gets these ideas and he goes about meddling with my life and he keeps dragging people into messes like this and- yeah." He sighed. "I don't know what all he told you about me even if it's true and all, but I can assure you I'm not looking for a date and you probably aren't even interested anymore so-"

"Who said I'm not interested?" Will interrupted Nico's rant.

"What?"

"Well, Leo was honest about you while he was pretending to be you and all," Will added. "I mean, your glare probably could vaporize someone."

Nico promptly turned red again. "Listen-"

"And you look a lot more Italian than your friend over there," Will continued, jerking his head in the direction Leo had run off in.

Nico shook his head. "Um, okay, but-"

"Do you want to go get dinner?" Will concluded.

"Huh?"

"Dinner," Will enunciated. "You know, a meal where-"

"I know what dinner is," Nico snapped, and Will smiled. "But why do you want to go to dinner?"

"Because Leo made you sound very interesting. And you're cute. And we could probably make this work. And if not, it'll be a great story."

Nico blinked. "I'm cute?"

Will grinned, and at looked at his black hair that was falling into his dark eyes, his healthy olive skin, his leather jacket, his long arms and legs that were just starting to grow out of adolescence. "Yeah, pretty cute," he confirmed.

Nico sighed. "Oh, what the hell," he said finally, grabbing Will's hand. "You like Chinese?"

* * *

 **A/N: So Nico was just super OOC on purpose okay? I'm not that terrible of a writer. In case you can't tell, the way these fics work, I think of a word and write the story, and sometimes it just runs away from me. The actual words "Just Kidding" don't show up, I know, but all things considered I think it works.**

 **Comments, Concerns, Suggestions for K or other letters, Constructive Criticism, all welcome!**

 **~ The Last Narnian**


	12. K is for Keys

**A/N: Ummm….*peers at date* yikes *ducks to avoid rotten fruit* ME VERY SORRY *hides behind Nico***

 **Also I'm sleepy and hungry and stressed because I finished my junior year, including all the finals and AP exams and they killed me they actually killed me I'm a ghost typing out this fanfic but don't worry I'll come back to life in like August 'cause I'll have to finish my summer reading and stuff AND THEN I'LL BE A SENIOR *heavy breathing* GUUUUYS I WAS NOT PREPARED TO GROW UP HAAAAAALP.**

 **ALSO I'm not sure when exactly this happened but I noticed this story has 106 followers! YAY! *bounces around, throws confetti, hugs Nico* Thank you readers! You are the only motivation I have left!**

 **Disclaimer: Hmmm, did something magical happen in the past few months so I now own it? Nope.**

 **K is for Key**

"Where are they?!"

Nico fell to his knees and peered under his bed for the eighth time that hour. Of course, nothing had changed in the ten minutes since he'd last looked. There were a few dust bunnies rolling around, a candy wrapper or two, the glowing green eyes of a she-demon -

Wait.

Nico gasped and collapsed backwards as Ginny shot out from under his bed and almost ran him over, screeching at the top of her lungs before abruptly stopping and making herself comfortable on top of his sword in the corner.

Cursed beast. He wouldn't be able to grab his sword to fend her off without her swiping at him and taking a chunk of his arm out. Comfortable in this knowledge, Ginny lifted a paw to her mouth and began cleaning herself languidly.

Nico sat up and narrowed his eyes at her. "What about you, you ginger devil spawn?" he growled. "Did you sneak in here and take them?"

The devil spawn in question promptly hacked up a furball and spat it out at his feet. Nico wrinkled his nose. "Thanks,"

He stood up and peered at the open window Ginny had crawled in through. Will must have been in the infirmary- the cat never tried sneaking away if Will was with her in the Apollo cabin. Nico wondered if a bird could have flown in and stolen the treasure he was seeking, but dismissed that thought. The birds were not nearly as sneaky as Ginny was.

He looked at the cat again, just in time to see her curl up and settle down on top of the prized weapon that had cut the hearts out of countless fearsome beasts. Nico had no doubt Ginny would somehow eat the sword for breakfast just to spite him, which was exactly why he was suspicious of the cat and her sudden presence in his cabin.

"Tell me where they are!" he burst out, glaring at her. Nico had a glare that had proven more than effective in the past, terrifying the most despicable of monsters and the strongest of demigods, a glare that promised pain and death at the hands of the reputed son of Hades himself, a glare that would show this obnoxious, spoiled cat he meant business.

Ginny looked up into the glare, yawned languidly, and returned to her nap.

Oh, come _on._

Nico muttered a few curses under his breath, but returned to his search. He never had been very good at finding his misplaced keys, but this was ridiculous!

"Nico?" his boyfriend's voice floated in. Nico spun around, and Will grinned at him from the other side of the window. "Evening, sweetheart. I noticed my mother's cat has left me for you once again. Perhaps you'd like to charm away the rest of my family."

"Don't be ridiculous." Nico blushed. "The door's open, take her back and for Hades' sake lock the windows in your cabin. Besides, I think the rest of your family would consider me a little too moody for their taste."

"Nonsense," Will leaned into the cabin. "I was thinking I would serenade you at dusk from out here. Very romantic, don't you think?"

"I think that only works if there's a balcony involved." Nico observed. "That's what I've seen in all the movies."

"You ruin all my fun." Will pouted. "Come on, are you ready to go?"

"Except for the cat sitting on my sword, almost." Nico responded. "Just looking for my keys."

Will sighed, "Well, I just lost a bet with Piper."

"What?"

"I ran into her and she said you'd still be looking for your keys five minutes before the date." Will rolled his eyes. "And here I thought that was impossible after the last four times it happened."

Nico huffed. "In my defense, I would have found them if this ginger demon hadn't ambushed me."

"Okay," Will rolled his eyes. "Here, let me help you find them."

Will, of course, found the keys in less than five minutes, as normal people did not struggle with the concept of finding keys nearly as much as Nico did. Nico turned red and huffed, but the two went out on their date, Will already thinking up a way to avoid last-minute searches for keys.

* * *

 _A few weeks later…_

"Good evening, honey bunches."

Nico wrinkled his nose. "What did you just call me?"

"Honey bunches," Will repeated. "Just trying it out. Too much?"

"Way too much." Nico affirmed. "Stick to sweetheart."

Will groaned. "But everyone uses sweetheart Nico! I want something unique." He sighed dramatically. "Oh well. Ready to go….munchkin?"

"Yes to the question, no to the name." Nico answered, patting his pocket. "Got my keys right here for once."

"I knew I should have taken that bet with Piper!" Will exclaimed. "We really need to coordinate these things."

"I think that's cheating."

"It's only cheating if Piper finds out, Nico."

Nico shook his head and kissed Will on the cheek. "Happy anniversary, you weirdo."

Will smiled. "Happy anniversary, sweetheart. Let's get going."

* * *

"I have no idea how you found this place," Nico marvelled for the tenth time, looking around the Italian bistro. The soft lighting, the crooning melodies, and the authentic smells made him feel as though he were back in Italy.

"The Aphrodite Cabin was weirdly excited about our anniversary. They wanted us to go somewhere French and expensive," Will rolled his eyes. "Thankfully, Italian is sufficiently romantic, and Lacey somehow spotted this place when we were walking through the neighborhood a few weeks ago."

"You should really thank her. You normally have terrible taste." Nico teased.

"Hey! I will have you know this bistro was 100% approved by both myself _and_ the Aphrodite cabin." Will protested.

Nico laughed, and the couple lapsed into a comfortable silence as their food arrived. Nico peered out the window, enjoying the sights of Little Italy and his chicken parmesan, while Will nervously kept twirling his spaghetti and peering at his watch.

Finally, dessert arrived: tiramisu for Will and zeppole for Nico.

"So, can you tell me what your part of the evening involves yet?" Will inquired.

"To be honest, I'm kind of nervous about it. You set the bar pretty high here." Nico responded, not noticing chocolate dribbling down his chin.

Will tapped his chin, and Nico finally felt the trickle that was dangerously close to ruining his nicest shirt.

"Can you at least tell me if we can exchange gifts here or later?" Will pushed as Nico wiped the chocolate off.

"Probably here," Nico conceded. "We're going to a concert after this."

"What kind of- no, don't tell me. Can I give you my gift first?"

"Sure," Nico raised an eyebrow. "You're weirdly excited about it."

"Well, you'll either love it or kill me, or some combination of the two, so yeah, pretty excited." Will pulled out a surprisingly small box, grinning widely.

"I think a combination is always a safe bet," Nico murmured, eying the small black box suspiciously. "Unless that's a ring."

Will's smile vanished. "Well, actually -"

"Will!" Nico jerked backwards. "You're great and all, but-"

"Oh, chill out, Nico!" Will laughed. "You really think I'm gonna propose? We haven't even graduated high school or anything. Although I am somewhat offended by your rejection," he pouted.

Nico rolled his eyes, trying to ignore the blood in his cheeks and the attention they were getting from the other restaurant patrons. "Can I just have my present now?"

Will handed it over with a dramatic flourish. "For you, my prince of Hell," he intoned grandly, ignoring his boyfriend's death glare.

Feeling as though he physically couldn't roll his eyes back any further and wondering why Will and his cat both had some strange immunity to his glares, Nico took the box. It felt very light in his hand, and soft, as it was covered in black velvet that wasn't evident at first glance. Hoping it wasn't anything designed to embarrass him, he quickly flipped the lid open.

A chain made of fine silver threads braided together lay inside, spread out into a circle. In the center rested a small, silver, oval locket, flanked by…

Nico snapped the box shut and glared at his boyfriend. "Keys?"

Will grinned cheekily. "They're pretty and they're useful."

"You are trying to get me to kill you. How are they useful?"

"Well, for one thing, they actually work," Will reached across and opened the box again. "I nabbed your keys a few days ago and had the Hephaestus cabin make replicas."

"Really?" Nico scowled. "So I actually did lose my keys on Tuesday and you made me think I was crazy?"

"Yeah, sorry about that." Will laughed nervously. "But there's more to the gift than that! Not only can you carry around the keys on this nifty chain, but the keys will always return to the chain if you ever lose them! That's great, don't you think?"

"Yeah, it is…" Nico admitted, peering down at the gift again. He smiled. "It's a really thoughtful present, Will."

Will heaved a sigh of relief. "When do I get mine?"

"After the concert," Nico told him. "We're about to be late, and Beyonce won't hold the curtain for us."

Will gasped and dragged his laughing boyfriend out of the bistro and into a cab, leaving everyone in the restaurant marvelling at the strange couple.

* * *

Over the years, the keys on the chain changed. The key to his college dorm appeared, then the key to the apartment he rented with Will. The key to the motorcycle Nico insisted on buying, and the key to Will's family home. The key to the lock on the bike they bought for the little girl they adopted. The key to the cupboard by the kitchen sink where they kept all the kitty litter and food for the cat that looked remarkably like Ginny. The key to the house they eventually moved to and lived out their lives in. And of course, present in spirit, the key to Will Solace's heart.

 **A/N: Am I cheesy? Yup. Am I compensating for my lack of a boyfriend? You know it. Am I about to change that habit? *laughs hysterically***

 **Thank you again for 106 followers! Have a cookie before you go! Also, I've noticed I only need 13 more reviews to hit 100 there too. I could use some ideas for other letters, you know. *hint hint nudge nudge* *passes you an extra cookie***

 **~ The Last Narnian**


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